The Development Material from Manila Grass Waste to Design Walls Ornamental for Interior Decoration

Abstract

           This article is one part of a research project to study Manila grass for the design and development of products for interior decoration. The objective is to study the various properties of Manila grass in order to develop ornamental walls for interior decoration, which is one way to help reduce pollution from burning material and agricultural cuttings. This is an experimental investigation combining practice, material development for product design and product evaluation.  The results show that Manila grass cuttings can be used to make paper pulp by boiling with sodium hydroxide, which can then be transformed into sheets. Analysis of the material characteristics and testing of properties found that, Manila grass that has been cut for no more than 20 days, which will lead to good results concerning the stability and strength of the product. When testing product shapes, it was found that large-sized patterns are best for ensuring the stability and strength of the shape and other parts of the product. When the results of material tests were analysed with consumer behaviours, designs were made and prototypes created. Emphasis was placed upon combination of raw materials with a variety of colours and textures, as well as the inclusion of local handicraft identity. When the prototypes were evaluated by experts, combined results were 4.82 and 4.83, which were classed as “very good”.